Roger Goodell has a point.

Goodell, the NFL commissioner, is adamant that first-round draft choices do not deserve the mega-millions of guaranteed money they receive in their initial contracts.

When he made this point at a sports symposium at the Chautauqua Institution, he was rewarded with a round of applause.

How hard was that?

When it comes to rookie money, the NBA has it right. Years ago, the league reached an agreement with the players' union that established a salary scale for rookies based on where they were taken in the draft.

Rookies still get rich. They just don't get fabulously wealthy based on what they did in college or what they might do in the NBA.

If they play well, there is more money at the end of the rainbow than they can possibly imagine or even spend, at least in a year.

The NFL team owners have opted to reopen the collective bargaining agreement, and one issue is rookie contracts.

It is reasonable to renegotiate on this point, provided the money saved on young players is funneled to veteran players.

But that's not what Goodell has in mind.

Goodell wants the entire financial picture in the NFL to change, he says, because of the faltering economy and the cost of stadium construction.

Oh, please.

There is not a more financially viable operation in sports than the NFL. There are few businesses anywhere that have the stability and revenue streams of the NFL.

The economy is cyclical. When it comes back, will Goodell and the owners be willing to give the players a better deal?

Of course not.

Goodell and the owners are making a mistake if they expect players to give back money so stadium debts can be paid.

The players' answer will be, as it should be, don't build the stadiums.

Four teams currently are involved in stadium projects: the Indianapolis Colts, the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants and the New York Jets.

Dallas and Indianapolis are receiving significant contributions from the public in the form of special taxes.

The Giants are selling personal seat licenses - a license that gives a fan the right to buy a season ticket - ranging from $1,000 to $20,000.

The NFL also has a loan program for owners who are building new stadiums.

Several other teams are making noise about new stadiums or renovations to existing stadiums. Here's a piece of advice - forget it.

They should do what practically everyone else in the country is doing regarding housing and get by with what they have.

The players don't need to contribute to the construction costs, and Goodell is making a bad argument that they do.

But it is an argument that draws rave reviews from audiences that see only the reported player costs and not the true cost and financial packages for stadium construction.

Goodell called the huge contracts that go to rookies "ridiculous."

He's correct.

And while he wants to reduce those salaries, he's willing to give the young players a chance to renegotiate those contracts if they play well.

That is a bad idea because it puts too many players at the mercy of management regarding the type of performance that merits renegotiations.

A simpler solution would be to make all rookie contracts two-year deals. After that, the players would become restricted free agents who must receive significant salary increases or be free to move elsewhere.

That's not a line that will get a lot of applause. Deals that are fair for both sides rarely do.

Contact Paul Woody at (804) 649-6444 or pwoody@timesdispatch.com.